This street was called the Street of Hope.
Back when Flevance was thriving and prosperous, it had been known as the Street of Joy.
But when the war began, the Street of Joy was the first to be purged, with most of its inhabitants perishing in the catastrophe.
From that day onward, the Street of Joy was renamed the Street of Hope.
This place had long lost its initial prosperity.
Everywhere lay ruins and rubble, with children's toys buried beneath the buildings destroyed by artillery and war, along with wedding photos of newlyweds and clothes lovingly knitted by mothers for their children.
Beautiful wishes and blessings quietly faded away amidst the thunderous roar of cannons, leaving behind only bright eyes drowned in dust.
Law stood beside Jake, gazing at the street with an extremely bitter smile on his face.
For some reason, he suddenly pointed at a small building that had been completely leveled to the ground and said.
"That's Oz's house. He was two years older than me, always obsessed with studying peculiar things. He once built a mechanical frog that could croak. But when the war came, his little inventions couldn't save his life. Do you know where I last saw him?"
Jake shook his head as he looked at Law, whose face was now etched with sorrow.
Law stared at the small, flattened remains of the building, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
"It was inside a plastic bag. That's where I saw him last. Oz's father, Old Bosen—the town's blacksmith—walked past me carrying two plastic bags filled with... body parts. There was no light left in his eyes. His aged face was streaked with tears. I'd never seen a man cry so much. He carried those bags, searching through the rubble for what remained of Oz."
"Did you know Old Bosen was an incredibly kind man? He was the only blacksmith in town. By rights, he could've charged us exorbitant fees—after all, no one else could do his work. But he never did. He charged so little that a full day's labor barely fed him and Oz."
"Often, we'd slip him extra coins, but Old Bosen would always laugh and toss them back into our pockets. He was a blacksmith, strong as an ox—even our fathers couldn't resist him. After shoving the money back with his rough hands, he'd smile and say he wanted nothing for himself. His only wish was for Oz to be liked by everyone, to never go hungry."
"The adults would reassure him—Oz was already brilliant, they'd say, and he had nothing to worry about. Even when Oz was nearly ready to take over the forge, Old Bosen kept working tirelessly. He told us he wanted to save more money, so Oz could pursue whatever he loved."
"He said Oz adored inventing, and inventions were a time-consuming hobby. As a father, he'd failed Oz's mother—she'd died giving birth to him. He owed Oz too much already. Everything he did now was to ease that guilt. He said no matter how much he loved Oz, it could never match even a fraction of what Oz's mother would've given him."
"Oz would always cry hearing this. We'd laugh—not mockingly, but with genuine warmth for their bond. But do you know what happened when the war came? A father who loved his son so deeply ended up carrying plastic bags, searching through ruins for his child's remains! Do you know what I thought when I saw that?"
By now, Law was shaking violently, tears streaming uncontrollably.
Jake crouched down, gently wiping Law's cheeks with the back of his hand.
Between sobs, Law forced out his final words.
"Old Bosen searched through the ruins for a very long time—ruins that had once been their home. Both bags were completely filled, yet Old Bosen's heart felt utterly empty. His hands had long been torn and bloodied from the relentless digging, but he still refused to give up. Some tried to persuade him, but it was useless. Old Bosen moved like a walking corpse, having already lost everything he had."
"On the afternoon of the third day, after burying his son, Old Bosen took his blacksmith's hammer and walked toward the heavily infected Amber Lead Syndrome zone. Before leaving, he saw me. For some reason, he tucked the hammer he had raised back into his belt and then, just like usual, walked over to me with a smile. He crouched down and pulled a piece of candy from his pocket—the fruit candy that Os and I loved the most."
"Old Bosen smiled at me and said, 'Law, you're a remarkable child. You're better than me, better than Os. I know you're grieving too, but you're stronger than I am. You'll become someone extraordinary in this world. I know what it feels like to lose everything, and I know the pain that comes with it. I won't make it through, but I know you will, Law. So, keep going, Law!'"
"After saying those words, he patted my head, then turned and walked straight into the heavily infected Amber Lead Syndrome zone without looking back. I watched his retreating figure, feeling the lingering warmth of the fruit candy in my hand, and tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. I didn't know what to say or do. I just stood there, staring blankly as he left."
"A few minutes later, I heard furious shouts and curses from inside, followed by the sound of gunfire and the harsh clang of a hammer hitting the ground. The candy in my hand had lost its warmth. I unwrapped it and ate it. It was so bitter—the most bitter fruit candy I'd ever tasted."
As Law spoke, everyone present fell silent.
Monet's eyes reddened, and she turned slightly away to hide her tears.
Jake patted Law's head and said softly,
"I'm sorry we came too late. I can't bring them back, but I can promise you this—nothing like that tragedy will ever happen here again."
After speaking, Jake walked straight toward the only intact house standing before them.
There lay the remnants of the evil that had plagued this ruined city.
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